Magnetoresistive Random-Access Memory (MRAM): Present and Future

Dear Colleagues,

Magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) has emerged as one of the leading candidates for next-generation non-volatile memory. Thanks to the tremendous efforts from industry and academia over the past few decades, MRAM based on various underlying physical mechanisms of read/write has reached a pivotal point that may lead to a seismic transition in the field of microelectronic industry. Spin–transfer–torque (STT) MRAM with perpendicular anisotropy has demonstrated mass production with viable roadmaps to scaling down to <22 nm technology node, replacing embedded flashes in advanced nodes. Moreover, new technological innovations including spin–orbit–torque (SOT), voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA), and magneto-electric (ME) devices are continuously pushing the write latency and energy efficiency of MRAM closer to that of CMOS-based static random-access memory (SRAM), exhibiting immense potential for being integrated as cache and on-chip scratchpad memory for high-performing computing systems. More recently, the improved density, high endurance, and reduced leakage of MRAM further open up an interesting direction for accelerating the memory-intensive computation of artificial intelligence (AI).

This Special Issue aims to highlight recent progress with MRAM on various applications including embedded memory, last-level cache, and unconventional computation such as neuromorphic and AI hardware accelerators. The development, modeling, and implementation of MRAM for various architectures (digital/analog/mixed-signal architectures) will discussed in this Special Issue. Investigation into exploiting cross-layer hardware–software co-design that optimizes MRAM for diverse architecture/applications will be of particular interest. We look forward to your submissions.

Dr. Cheng Wang
Guest Editor

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• magnetic memory
• emerging non-volatile memory
• beyond CMOS microelectronics